Contemporary engines used in aircraft produce substantial amounts of heat that must be transferred away from the engine in one way or another. Heat exchangers provide a way to transfer heat away from such engines.
Oil can be used to dissipate heat from engine components, such as engine bearings, electrical generators, and the like. Heat is typically transferred from the oil with heat exchangers to maintain oil temperatures at a desired range from approximately 100° F. to 300° F. In many instances, an external environment can be as low as −65° F. In such an example, a flow of cool air can be used to cool the oil at the heat exchanger with force convection. Other applications utilize air, fuel, and oil to both cool and heat one another, depending on the need.
Additionally, heat exchangers can be placed in the aircraft for dissipating heat generated by electrical systems, such as within an avionics chassis. The heat exchangers can include a plurality of elements, such as conduits, to draw heat from the electrical components. The heat exchanger can be used to dissipate the heat drawn from the electrical components.